Animated puppet

ABSTRACT

This invention is an animated puppet skeleton with interchangeable segmented shell-like body parts. The head comprises a flexible rubber-like pullover mask which is attached at specific points to moveable parts of the skull so that independent jaw and lip motion and eye, eyelid and eyebrow motions are possible. Inflatable balloon-like structures attached to the body shell allow controlled change of body shape. The puppet body is supported by, and turns upon, a tube which extends from the control panel and terminates at a bearing between the legs of the puppet. All controls for the puppet enter through said tube. Complex puppet motions may be created by simple control motions by virtue of coordinated interconnections.

[ 1 Nov. 4, 1975 I ANIMATED PUPPET [76] Inventor: Robert Burkhart, 9856Shirley Lane, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210 [22] Filed: Nov. 14, 1974 [21]Appl. No.: 522,459

666,207 2/l952 United Kingdom 46/126 Primary Examiner-Louis G. ManceneAssistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting [57] ABSTRACT v This invention isan animated puppet skeleton with in, terchangeable segmented shell-likebody parts. The

[52] US. Cl. 46/119; 46/126; 46/135; head comprises a flexible b ikpullover k 2 46/166 which is attached at specific points to moveableparts [51] 113t- Cl. A6311 7/00 of the skull so that independent jaw andi motion [58] Field Of Search 46/119, 126 and eye, eyelidvand eyebrowmotions are possible flatable balloon-like structures attached to thebody [56] References Clted shell allow controlled change of body shape.The pup- UNTTED STATES ATE TS pet body is supported by, and turns upon,a tube 2,114,851 4/1938 McCown 46/126 which extends from the controlpanel and rminates 2,466,214 4/1949 Deaton 46/126 at a bearing betweenthe legs of the puppet. All con- 3,390,481 7/1968 Runanin 46/119 trolsfor the puppet enter through said tube. Complex FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS PPPP g metions y z q y Simple e 1110- 1,288,052 2/l962France 46/126 Hons y o coor mate mterconnecnons 657,992 10/1951 UnitedKingdom 46/126 11 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures log, '-l

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If!!! I [Illl I AHIIP mm!! n ANIMATED PUPPET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe ancient art of puppetry has been improved only a modest amount bymodern technology. These improvements have added very little to theentertainment value of puppets which, in many respects, rely on theirawkward stylized movements for that entertainment value.

The medium of television has, however, created a much broader market forthe skilled use of puppets. The electronic techniques now available forsuperimposing moving figures on independently moving backgrounds alsoprovide new means of obscuring the mechanical support and controldevices. This market has created a need for a variety of stylizedpuppets for use in producing large quantities of cartoon-like features.The puppet eliminates the need for drawing vast numbers of slightlydifferent pictures for cell animation. A background is createdseparately. The puppet and background motions may be produced separatelyand superimposed electronically. What is needed is a mechanical puppetwhich can play many parts.

The most costly and difficult portion of the puppet is the mechanicalsupport and control system. This invention proposes to create a skeletonpuppet which can change bodies as well as clothes to suit the role. As aresult, a wide variety of cartoon-like features can be produced with afew puppet mechanisms.

Earlier inventors have proposed methods of controlling puppets byintemal control lines [(Caprino, British Patent No. 657,992 (1951) Wolf,US. Pat. No. 2,327,234 (1943) and Deaton, US. Pat. No. 2,466,214(1949).] Others have proposed methods of supporting the puppet by asingle support arm through which the control wires run, but which iskept continuously behind the puppet with respect to the viewing camera.[(Runanin, US. Pat. No. 3,390,481 (1968).] This latter feature is nolonger critical because of the television cameras ability (with the aidof electronic selectors and gates) to obscure the image of the supportand control devices and replace them by alternative backgrounds. In theinterest of economics, the controls can be slightly more clumsy andobvious, without appearing in, and detracting from, the televisionpicture projected.

The puppet must convey its message by action. For this reason somefacial changes are desirable. This has been a major limitation ofearlier puppets. This is one area in which modern technology has a greatdeal to offer. Very life-like head masks are now available for humanactors. These rubber-like masks fit the face and convey the facialchanges of the actor to his mask, by stretching. If the skeleton of thehead and face of the puppet had greater ability for mechanical change,this same flexibility and adaptability could be conveyed to the puppetby placing a rubber-like mask over this skeleton of the head.

The skill required of a puppet operator has also limited the use ofpuppets. The original string supported and controlled puppet wassuspended from crossed sticks with strings appropriately attached sothat certain rhythmic motions of the control sticks could conveywalking, arm swinging motion to the puppets. The use of internal controllines and keyboard controls with independent keys for each specificmotion gives greater 2 versatility but eliminates this naturalcoordinated motion. The operator must provide his own coordinationunless some internal coupling of motions is built into the puppet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention presents a relatively simplepuppet skeleton with interchangeable bodies so that one mechanism can beused to play many roles in television productions. The mechanism isdesigned to be used with electronic methods of superimposing televisionimages. The machanism has a much more complex head skeleton for thepurpose of exploiting the flexible rubberlike mask which can transmitfacial motions while obscuring imperfections in the skeleton.Interlocking mechanisms are described which very simply producecoordinated, complex motions such as walking and arm swinging.

It is an objectof this invention to create an animated puppet skeletonwhich can play many roles by interchanging bodies- It is an object ofthis invention to create an animated puppet skeleton which can beassembled, tested and operated independent of its head, body andclothing.

It is an object of this invention to create an animated puppet withflexible rubber-like eyelids which open and close.

It is an object of this invention to create an animated puppet withflexible rubber-like eyebrows which may be raised and lowered.

It is an object of this invention to create a puppet with flexiblerubber-like cheeks which allow the jaw to move up and down.

It is an object of this invention to create a puppet with flexiblerubber-like lips which may be opened and closed independently of or incoordination with jaw motion.

It is an object of this invention to create an animated puppet with atorso which may be expanded, contracted and changed in shape by means ofinflatible balloon-like structures.

It is an object of this invention to create an animated puppet which, bymeans of a simple control action, is caused to perform complexcoordinated actions such as walking and arm swinging.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in thefollowing drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the puppet, its support and its controls.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the puppet taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1, withcutaway showing skeleton and internal control lines.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the keyboard controls taken on line 3 3 of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the head taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 2, of the head and torsocutaway to show the support bearing and control lines.

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 5 showing the controllines for turning the puppet on the support bearing.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the support bearing taken on line 7 7 of FIG.5.

FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of the head and internal mechanisms.

FIG. 9 is a partially sectioned plan view taken generally on line 9 9 ofFIG. 8 showing the mechanism for moving the eyes.

FIG. 10 is a view taken on line 10 10 of FIG. 8 showing the device forconverting control line motion to rolling motion of the eyes.

FIG. 11 shows a mechanism for regulating slack in the control lines.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exploded side view of the segmented shell of thetorso and head.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a side and plan view of the snaps for holding thesegmented shells together and to the skeleton.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the mechanism for converting control linemotion to synchronized arm and leg motion.

Motion of the puppet is controlled by control lines eminating from akeyboard 21, each control line being attached to and controlled by onekey 20. All control lines enter the puppet through a guide tube 22. Theleg consists of rigid elements 24 and 27 connected at a moveable kneejoint by a spring loaded bearing 25. Attached to the bearing assembly isa coil spring 26 which forces the leg to a neutral, straight position.The control line 23 is guided througha pulley 29 attached to the legabove the knee joint and is then attached to the leg below the knee at27' so that when the control line is pulled, the lower leg is pulled up,turning about the knee joint against the tension of the coil spring 26.Other control lines are similarly guided to the other rigid elementswhich make up the moving parts of the puppet skeleton.

On the end of the guid tube 22 is a bearing attached to the puppet atthe crotch 40 between the legs. The entire weight of the puppet issupported on this bearing. The control tube bends upward 40, is enlargedand the end of the tube is covered by a circular plate 51 which issupported on the guide tube by a bearing 50. There are holes 52 in theplate through which the control lines 53 are guided into the interior ofthe puppet. The upper torso of the puppet is supported on a central rod57 which is supported on and rigidly attached to the plate 51 at itscenter 54. The lower torso, hips and legs are supported at the outerperiphery of the plate 51. The puppet is made to turn onthe bearing bypulling one or the other of control lines 61 and 62 which attach to thebottom 63 of thecontrol support rod 57.

The control lines 53 which enter the puppet from the guide tube 22 areguided to the elements they control by means of guides 58 such as thatat the neck. In certain areas, motion of one part, such as the head, maycause a lengthening or shortening of the path of the control lines toother parts such as the eyes or lips causing undesired motion of thoseparts. This can be offset by one of two methods. First, the controllines in the region where the path length change can occur are replacedby flexible wires enclosed in a flexible tube which bends but does notstretch, such as commonly used for accelerator cables in automobiles.This is illustrated in FIG. 8. The ends 81 and 83 of the flexible tube82 are attached to two points that move with respect to one another, oneend 81 in the shoulder area, the other 83 in the head. Because the linefits tightly in the tube, no slack is added or removed from the line byhead motion although slack exists in the flexible tube. The secondmethod allows slack to be added or removed from the line. The slack iskept in a reservoir near the keyboard controls (FIG. 1 l) by means ofguide pulleys 160 4 and 163 which are driven by coil springs 161 and 162so as to draw any slack into the reservoir. The tensions on the springsare not great enough to move the parts controlled by the lines, but arestrong enough to draw any slack 164 into the reservoir 165.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate mechanisms for producing motion of theeyes. The eyes and 71 rest in sockets in which they are free to turn.From the back of each eye protrudes a rod 73 and 74, the opposite endsof which 75 or 76 are attached by universal joints to a central rod 78.This central rod 78 can be moved from side to side or raised and loweredcausing the ends of the rods 75 and 76 from the eyes to be moved inunison from side to side or up and down, rolling the eyes 70 and 71. Thecentral rod 78 may be raised by means of the control line 89 or moved tothe side by the control line 95.

In FIG. 8, the eyelid may be closed by pulling control line 96, whichdrives rod 85' toward the eyelid causing the eyelid to turn about thehinge shaft 86.

The head is covered by a flexible rubber-like pullover mask shown incutaway form FIG. 8. This flexible mask 91 attaches to the eyelid 85 atthe edge 88 so that it folds and stretches as the eyelid is opened orclosed.

The mask is also attached beneath the eyebrow by means of grippingfabrics such as Velcro to a small plate 87 which can slide up on theskull when pulled by means of control line 92 which is guided to theplate 87 by means of a guide tube 93. This permits the eyebrows to beraised.

The mask is also attached at the lips 103 to a mechanical lip 102. Themechanical lip 102 is supported on the rod 105 supported by the lingeshaft 107 so that it may be moved independently of the jaw 106 by meansof control line 108. The aw 106 is supported by a hinge shaft 104 andmay be moved by the control line 101.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate the interchangeable puppet bodyconsisting of segmented shells 181 and 182 and head of similar structure183 and 184. The segmented body is attached to the central support rod57 at the disc like control line guide 185 and at the plate 50 on thesupport bearing 51. The segmented parts are held to one another and thecentral skeleton support system by means of fasteners 187.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the mechanism to convert a single controlline pulling motion to a synchronized arm swinging stepping motion. Whenthe control line 191 is pulled, the eccentric 192 rotates pushing onerod 193 upward and the other rod 194 downward. The upper rod turns aneccentric 195 in the shoulder. The lower rod turns an eccentric 196 inthe hip. The eccentric 195 has a protrusion 197 which moves against alever 199 attached to the arm, causing it to swing. When this mechanismis not active, that protrusion moves back allowing the arm to movefreely when controlled independently. Similarly the eccentric 196 has aprotrusion 198 which moves against a lever on the end of the leg causingit to be raised in a steplike motion. The device is located along thecentral support rod in the torso with the eccentric 192 at the waist. Asecond such device lies along the other side of the central support rodfor simultaneously controlling the other arm and leg.

FIG. 5 illustrates a torso which can be changed in shapeinstantaneously. An inflatible balloon-like sack 64 is attached to thetorso. The sack may be inflated by compressed gas from the storagebottle 33 of FIG. 1

through the connectingtube 32.

DESCRIPTION OF 7 PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the inventions describedand claimed herein could be achieved by various mechanical means, thepreferred embodiment is that illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 16 whereinthe rigid support elements of the skeleton aremade of light metal orreinforced plastics, the segmented shells of the body and head are madeof plastic, the head maskiis latex with and without imbedded hair andthe control lines are nylon cord.

What is claimed is:- v l. An animated puppet comprising; i

a, A skeleton of rigid elements connected at movable joints, i

b. control lines, at! least-one said control line connected to eachpair-of said rigid elements at each said joint, such that-one said rigidelement of said pair is forced to move around-said .joint with respectto the other member of said pair when said control line is pulled,

. springlike devices, atleast one said springlike device attached toeach said pair of rigid elements connected by a joint near said joint,such that one said rigid element of said pair is forced by saidspringlike device to a predetermined neutral position with respect tothe other element of said pair when said control line is relaxed,

d. pulleys, spacers and tubes attached to said skeleton by means ofwhich each said control line is guided from said joint, which saidcontrol line controls, to the operator, such that the operator may pulleach said control line independently,

e. interchangeable,segmented shells of lightweight material, such thatsaid segmented shells can be attached to said skeleton to give saidpuppet an extemal shape corresponding to the body of the character to bedepicted by said puppet.

2. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 in combination with a keyboardof keys each of said control lines being attached to one of said keyssuch that each said control line is pulled independently by depressingthe corresponding key.

3. An animated puppet comprising the animated puppet claimed in claim 1wherein said control lines exit from said skeleton and said segmentedshells downward through a port between the rigid elements correspondingto the legs of said puppet, a tube through which said control lines areguided from said port to said operator, a bearing attached between saidport and said tube such that said skeleton and segmented shells aresupported by said tube so as to be able to turn on said bearing, and acontrol line attached to said port so that said skeleton and saidsegmented shells turn on said bearing when said control line is pulled.

4. The animated puppet skeleton claimed in claim 1 wherein said guidesfor said control lines and said means by which said control lines areguided include sections of incompressible, flexible tubing whose insidediameter is comparable to the outside diameter of said control line,through each of said sections of tubing one of said control linespasses, the ends of each said section of tubing being affixed toelements of said skeleton connecting the rigid elements and jointcontrolled by said control line to said external control means.

5. An animated puppet comprising the animated puppet skeleton claimed inclaim 1 wherein some of said rigid elements correspond to supports forhead, eyes,

able segmented shells of light weight material attachable to said rigidelements corresponding to the head, eyes, eyelids, jaw and lips of saidpuppet skeleton, each said segmented shell having the shape appropriateto the head, eyes, eyelids, jaw and lips of thecharacter to berepresented by said puppet.

6. An animated puppet comprising: 4

a. The animated'puppet claimed in claim I wherein two of said rigidelements, with the portions of said segmented shell attached thereto,correspond to a skull and a jaw joined at a moveable joint, and

b. an interchangeable rubber-like head and face mask having flexibleregions corresponding to cheekswhich stretch and allow the mouth of saidmask to open when said mask is placed over said head and jaw and saidjaw is moved downward with respect to said skull. j I

7. An animated puppet comprising:

a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein two of said rigidelements, with the portions of said i segmented shell attached thereto,correspond to a jaw and an upper lip formed at a moveable joint, and

b. an interchangeable rubber-like head and face mask having flexibleregions corresponding to lips which stretch and contract to allow themouth of said mask to close and open when said mask is placed over saidjaw and lip and said lip is moved down and up with respect to said jaw.

8. An animated puppet comprising:

a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein two of said rigidelements, with the portions of said segmented shell attached thereto,correspond to a skull and an eyelid joined at a moveable joint, and

b. a flexible sheet of rubber-like material attached to said skull andsaid eyelid so that said flexible sheet wrinkles and contracts when saideyelid opens and stretches to ever said eyelid when it closes.

9. An animated puppet comprising:

a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein two of said rigidelements with the portions of said segmented shell attached thereto,correspond to an eyebrow and a skull joined at a moveable joint suchthat said eyebrow can move up and down on said skull and b. a flexible,interchangeable rubber-like head and face mask with imbedded hair foreach eyebrow, the region of said imbedded hair for one eyebrow attachingto said rigid element corresponding to said eyebrow so that said maskstretches or contracts and wrinkles to accommodate motion of said rigidelement.

10. An animated puppet comprising the animated puppet claimed in claim 1and pulley-like rollers, mounted on fixed supports external to saidskeleton and said segmented shells near said operator, each of saidcontrol lines being turned around at least one separate said roller,each of said rollers being supported on a shaft and a tensionedspring-like device which rotates each said roller individually so as todraw any slack in said control lines out of said skeleton and saidsegmented shells, the tension in each said springlike device being lessthan that required to pull the rigid element controlled by each saidcontrol line away from its said neutral position.

11. An animated puppet comprising:

a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1,

7 b. a first eccentric internal to said puppet near the waist of saidpuppet to which one of said control lines is attached such that saidfirst eccentric is totated when said control line is pulled,

' c. a first rod directed upward within said puppet, the

lower end of said first rod being attached to said first eccentric suchthat said first rod is pushed upward when said first eccentric isrotated,

d. a second eccentric within said puppet near the shoulder of saidpuppet to which theupper end of said first rod is attached such thatsaid second eccentric is rotated when saidfirst rod is pushed upward,

e. a first lever attached to the outer periphery of said secondeccentric,

f. a second lever attached to one of said rigid elements of said puppetcorresponding to an arm of said puppet such that said arm swings'whensecond lever is pushed, said second lever being located so that it ispushed by said first lever on said second eccentric when said secondeccentric is rotated,

and such that said first and second lever do not contact when saidsecond eccentric is not rotated,

g. a second rod directed downward within said puppet, the upper end ofsaid second rod being attached to said first eccentric such that saidsecond rod is pushed downward when said first eccentric is rotated,

h. a third eccentric within said puppet near the hip of said puppet towhich the lower end of said second rod is attached such that said thirdeccentric is rotated when said second rod is pushed downward,

i. a third lever attached to the outer periphery of said thirdeccentric,

j. a fourth lever attached to one of said rigid elements said thirdeccentric is not rotated.

1. An animated puppet comprising: a. A skeleton of rigid elementsconnected at movable joints, b. control lines, at least one said controlline connected to each pair of said rigid elements at each said joint,such that one said rigid element of said pair is forced to move aroundsaid joint with respect to the other member of said pair when saidcontrol line is pulled, c. springlike devices, at least one saidspringlike device attached to each said pair of rigid elements connectedby a joint near said joint, such that one said rigid element of saidpair is forced by said springlike device to a predetermined neutralposition with respect to the other element of said pair when saidcontrol line is relaxed, d. pulleys, spacers and tubes attached to saidskeleton by means of which each said control line is guided from saidjoint, which said control line controls, to the operator, such that theoperator may pull each said control line independently, e.interchangeable, segmented shells of lightweight material, such thatsaid segmented shells can be attached to said skeleton to give saidpuppet an external shape corresponding to the body of the character tobe depicted by said puppet.
 2. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 incombination with a keyboard of keys each of said control lines beingattached to one of said keys such that each said control line is pulledindependently by depressing the corresponding key.
 3. An animated puppetcomprising the animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein said controllines exit from said skeleton and said segmented shells downward througha port between the rigid elements corresponding to the legs of saidpuppet, a tube through which said control lines are guided from saidport to said operator, a bearing attached between said port and saidtube such that said skeleton and segmented shells are supported by saidtube so as to be able to turn on said bearing, and a control lineattached to said port so that said skeleton and said segmented shellsturn on said bearing when said control line is pulled.
 4. The animatedpuppet skeleton claimed in claim 1 wherein said guides for said controllines and said means by which said control lines are guided includesections of incompressible, flexible tubing whose inside diameter iscomparable to the outside diameter of said control line, through each ofsaid sections of tubing one of said control lines passes, the ends ofeach said section of tubing being affixed to elements of said skeletonconnecting the rigid elements and joint controlled by said control lineto said external control means.
 5. An animated puppet comprising theanimated puppet skeleton claimed in claim 1 wherein some of said rigidelements correspond to supports for head, eyes, eyelids, jaws and lipsin combination with interchangeable segmented shells of light weightmaterial attachable to said rigid elements corresponding to the head,eyes, eyelids, jaw and lips of said puppet skeleton, each said segmentedshell having the shape appropriate to the head, eyes, eyelids, jaw andlips of the character to be represented by said puppet.
 6. An animatedpuppet comprising: a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein twoof said rigid elements, with the portions of said segmented shellattached thereto, correspond to a skull and a jaw joined at a moveablejoint, and b. an interchangeable rubber-like head and face mask havingflexible regions corresponding to cheeks which stretch and allow themouth of said mask to open when said mask is placed over said head andjaw and said jaw is moved downward with respect to said skull.
 7. Ananimated puppet comprising: a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1wherein two of said rigid elements, with the portions of said segmentedshell attached thereto, correspond to a jaw and an upper lip formed at amoveable joint, and b. an interchangeable rubber-like head and face maskhaving flexible regions corresponding to lips which stretch and contractto allow the mouth of said mask to close and open when said mask isplaced over said jaw and lip and said lip is moved down and up withrespect to said jaw.
 8. An animated puppet comprising: a. The animatedpuppet claimed in claim 1 wherein two of said rigid elements, with theportions of said segmented shell attached thereto, correspond to a skulland an eyelid joined at a moveable joint, and b. a flexible sheet ofrubber-like material attached to said skull and said eyelid so that saidflexible sheet wrinkles and contracts when said eyelid opens andstretches to cver said eyelid when it closes.
 9. An animated puppetcomprising: a. The animated puppet claimed in claim 1 wherein two ofsaid rigid elements with the portions of said segmented shell attachedthereto, correspond to an eyebrow and a skull joined at a moveable jointsuch that said eyebrow can move up and down on said skull and b. aflexible, interchangeable rubber-like heAd and face mask with imbeddedhair for each eyebrow, the region of said imbedded hair for one eyebrowattaching to said rigid element corresponding to said eyebrow so thatsaid mask stretches or contracts and wrinkles to accommodate motion ofsaid rigid element.
 10. An animated puppet comprising the animatedpuppet claimed in claim 1 and pulley-like rollers, mounted on fixedsupports external to said skeleton and said segmented shells near saidoperator, each of said control lines being turned around at least oneseparate said roller, each of said rollers being supported on a shaftand a tensioned spring-like device which rotates each said rollerindividually so as to draw any slack in said control lines out of saidskeleton and said segmented shells, the tension in each said springlikedevice being less than that required to pull the rigid elementcontrolled by each said control line away from its said neutralposition.
 11. An animated puppet comprising: a. The animated puppetclaimed in claim 1, b. a first eccentric internal to said puppet nearthe waist of said puppet to which one of said control lines is attachedsuch that said first eccentric is rotated when said control line ispulled, c. a first rod directed upward within said puppet, the lower endof said first rod being attached to said first eccentric such that saidfirst rod is pushed upward when said first eccentric is rotated, d. asecond eccentric within said puppet near the shoulder of said puppet towhich the upper end of said first rod is attached such that said secondeccentric is rotated when said first rod is pushed upward, e. a firstlever attached to the outer periphery of said second eccentric, f. asecond lever attached to one of said rigid elements of said puppetcorresponding to an arm of said puppet such that said arm swings whensecond lever is pushed, said second lever being located so that it ispushed by said first lever on said second eccentric when said secondeccentric is rotated, and such that said first and second lever do notcontact when said second eccentric is not rotated, g. a second roddirected downward within said puppet, the upper end of said second rodbeing attached to said first eccentric such that said second rod ispushed downward when said first eccentric is rotated, h. a thirdeccentric within said puppet near the hip of said puppet to which thelower end of said second rod is attached such that said third eccentricis rotated when said second rod is pushed downward, i. a third leverattached to the outer periphery of said third eccentric, j. a fourthlever attached to one of said rigid elements of said puppetcorresponding to a leg of said puppet such that said leg is liften whensaid fourth lever is pushed, said fourth lever being located so that itis pushed by said third lever on said third eccentric when said thirdeccentric is rotated, and such that said third and fourth levers do notcontact when said third eccentric is not rotated.